A Battle of Mind and Heart
by anotherpranklovingweasley
Summary: It has been eight years since Harry killed Voldemort, and Voldemort killed Harry, or at least, so the world thinks. Ginny remembers her life before the war, the times she and her love shared and the dreams they looked forward to when the war might finall


There was something enchanting about the way the frost created perfectly symmetrical stars along the windowpane that had Ginny staring out towards the leaf-covered grounds. The sun was beginning to set along the horizon and a shadow of deepest red spilled over thecrisp autumnworld outside and she was reminded once more of the life she'd never be able to leave behind, and the memories she'd never forget.

The stain of blood-colored light overthe landscapelaid a rock inside Ginny's stomach. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment to remember his face as it was before the war-gentle, handsome and strong. His green eyes smiled at her as his messy black hair fell all over itself. As she took a deep breath in, she could almost smell him coming in from a hard day of quidditch, and as she strained to remember his voice, she could almost hear his laughter reverberate throughout the room. There was something very special about Harry Potter, and Ginny was determined to hold on to that forever, irregardless of circumstance.

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"Harry! This is silly! Where are we going? What are we doing here?" Ginny said laughing as her boyfriend, Harry Potter, pulled her hand towards the edge of a forest. "I don't think I really want to go in here, Harry," she said trying to get him to ease up on his grasp. He looked back at her and smiled, his green eyes sparkling with the moon.

"Ginny, just a bit further," he whispered.

She sighed to hide the excitement in her face. She liked to pretend she was a bit weaker than she really was, just to rouse comfort from Harry. They slowed as the thick, twisting trees began to engulf them until they were practically crawling through the maze the trees made. "Much further, then?" Ginny whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, just a bit more," Harry replied without looking back. He was intent on finding something; that was certain.

Ginny sighed and watched the ground, covered thick with red and orange leaves. There was something about fall that always made Ginny fall more in love with the world around her. Perhaps it was the strong wind that always blew through her hair in the afternoons, or maybe it was the way the clouds covered the sky in a swirling array of gray paint. Either way, each moment was wonderful.

"Here," Harry said confidently.

Ginny looked up to see that the place they were now standing looked no different than anywhere else in the forest.

"Harry, where are we?" She asked, lifting her eyebrow slightly.

"Just wait a moment," Harry replied excitedly. Ginny looked at his face, bold streams of moonlight blazing his cheeks. He was watching the treetops, never once looking down at her. "Almost…" He whispered, the tension building.

Ginny peeled her eyes away to look at the same place he was, but still there was nothing, just the shadows of very tall, twisty trees.

"Just a moment more…" Harry whispered again.

Ginny's heart began to beat a little faster with the anticipation. _What's going to happen?_ She thought. That's when she heard it…a gentle humming just above the trees. _What on earth?_ It was getting louder now, a low rumble that was starting to vibrate around her body. Harry squeezed her hand, still watching the tree tops. Then, like an explosion of color and sound, a swarm of birds erupted through the dark green canopy and began to race towards the ground, swirling and diving as if they were dancing towards her. They were vibrant shades of reds, oranges and purples, yellows and blues.

"What are they?" Ginny asked Harry, but heard no response as both were intent on the creatures before them. When the birds were about 10 feet above their heads, they began to slow the fall and moved their heads from nosedive to an upright position. One by one, in lines of color, they started moving in different directions around the trees. Rows of red wound around the trunk of one tree to her left, and purple to her right. An array of yellow birds planted themselves amongst branches as if lighting up the tree with stars.

Ginny was entranced. "Oh, Harry!" She said softly as she watched a crowd of violently indigo birds form a ring around them. As her eyes followed the circle that surrounded her now, she caught sight of the man standing to her left, looking a bit clammy and nervous.

"Harry?" A warm feeling always ran through her fingers when she said his name. Something about it was soothing and comforting.

He pulled a small green box out of his pocket with slightly shaking hands. His eyes met hers and she smiled. _He's so beautiful…_she thought. He swallowed hard and took in a deep breath. She knew what he was about to do, and she bit her lip gently.

"Ginny?" He said, coughing to clear his throat. "Ginny, I…" He looked down again, as if trying to gather the proper words.

"Are you all right, there, Harry?" Ginny replied after a moment's pause. He didn't have to finish, she was ready to say yes, but she let him speak anyway.

"Ginny, I love you, and I know that I tell this you every day, but it, it just never seems like enough." Ginny's eyes sparkled at these words. Harry was never much for mushy expressions and to hear him say something like this meant there was a serious purpose behind them. "I just, I find strength from you that I can't find anywhere else…" His voice trailed off again, but he kept his eyes on her. There were now hundreds of birds surrounding them, tangled amidst the trees and the air. It was as if every space around her was now filled with the gentle hum of their wings and the song of their brilliantly colored crests.

Harry took in another deep breath. "There's an entire world in battle around us, and I have a huge part in that. We both know what I mean, and we both know that there is no turning from it. I have one goal now, and that is to end this war. But…you…I mean…what if something happens…"

Ginny leaned in and kissed him softly as her hands took hold of his jaw. She lifted to her tiptoes and kissed his forehead before looking back into his eyes. "You don't have to say it, Harry."

"No, no I do, Gin," He spoke quietly, but with authority. That was something Ginny had fallen more in love with over time. Harry had the ability to command armies with the gentlest of words. He watched her for a moment. "Ginny, I try to forget my past. I try to let it disappear into darkness, but it never will. I dream about it every night, and I wake up screaming out names…your name. I see his face…I see your face falling farther and farther away from me and I feel helpless." Ginny took in the deep breath this time. "I don't believe our world will ever be the same again, but I do believe that it's possible to have at least some sort of future. Too many people have died to make that true, and too many will come to die, and I've realized it would be a horrible detriment to those memories to continue living in fear of loss." He slid down to the ground with his left knee and took hold of the small box with both hands. "Ginevra Molly Weasley…would you join that future, would you spend the rest of your life with me?"

Ginny paused for a moment and Harry watched her deep brown eyes. She knelt down in front of him and took the box out of his hands. Setting it down at his side, she took his trembling hands in her own and let their fingers intertwine. She could feel the birds creeping in closer, the hum of their wings making a soothing song. "Harry…you are a powerful, strong, loving wizard. They would be beaming with pride at your accomplishments." Harry swallowed even harder, knowing exactly who she was talking about, and Ginny could tell he was trying to be stronger than he really was. "I know you loved them, and you spend a lot of time thinking about how things could have been different…I don't want that for me. Don't put me on a pedestal somewhere, because if we do this, we do it together, as a team. I won't let you try to be a hero when I know I can do something for myself."

Harry pulled his hands away from hers and looked up at the swarm of beautiful birds that had now formed a sort of dome over their heads. "Tierdans," he said quietly.

"What?" Ginny responded, confused.

"The birds…Tierdans." Ginny looked blankly at his face. "They're called sweetbirds by the Centaurs because they have such a beautiful song when they hover like this. I found them when I was searching for Him in the Forest of Emandual. The first thing I thought of was how much you would love to see them dance amongst the trees, and for a second, I'd forgotten Voldemort could be hiding nearby, waiting to watch me die." Again, Ginny remained silent. "Ginny, even in the darkest of times, you are the first thing I think of. You the person I fight for, you are the one person I fight to protect." He dropped his head into his hands and let his shoulders fall limp. Tears were starting to drip through his fingertips and Ginny sat unmoved, not sure exactly what to say.

"Harry…" Ginny finally cooed after a long awkward silence.

Harry paused, wiped away the tears on the sleeve of his jacket and looked into Ginny's eyes once more. "I can't help it if I want to protect you, Gin, because I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. However, one thing that made me fall in love with you was the fight within your heart. We _are_ a team, and I rely on your strength to get me through each battle. I'll never put you in a closet…" he took in a breath, "but I won't send you into the middle of the fight, either…I just can't."

Ginny smiled, the fire in her eyes burning into his. There was just something so gentle about him, yet so fierce. He had such power within himself that he had yet to even realize, and such heart that she didn't think he would ever understand the amount of love oozing from his very pores. She nodded. "At that, Harry, how could I do anything but spend the rest of my life with you?"

The two spent a moment listening only to the sounds of the forest around them. _She understands me in a way no one else can…_he thought, his heart swelling with hope. Harry's eyes glowed with joy as he popped open the velvet box once more to reveal a gentle, gold ring. Ginny held out her left hand as he carefully slid the ring onto her soft, pale finger. He gathered himself to his feet and quietly pulled her close. Ginny kissed his chest and nuzzled her head into his shoulder, feeling the beat of his heart pound against her cheek. There was something that felt so safe when she was with him, as if she was invincible. He inspired her in ways she could never even begin to tell him.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Harry said releasing his embrace. He sent up a green spark that disappeared into the trees, but sent all of the birds into a massive frenzy. The leapt from their perches, and fluttered about in the air and soon began to fly in a fast circle around the pair. Within seconds, every bird was swooping around Ginny and Harry, causing a rushing wind that sent dirt and leaves swirling through the air. Ginny laughed as she ducked into Harry once more. She looked up for one last curious look to see the birds raging upwards in a magnificent stream of color and sound, flying fast out of view and away from the quiet spot in the forest.

"Just for effect, really," Harry said with a grin. Ginny giggled and hugged him close.

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A gentle creak let her know that her son was awake. "Mum, school today?" He asked knowing that when his mother was staring off in this manner, she was not easily spoken to. Ginny sighed and turned to see the spitting image of her husband. Her son was thin and pale with mindless black hair that flopped all over his head and brilliant green eyes that could penetrate even the darkest moments. He had a strong jaw and a gentle heart, a general concern for every creature.

"Yes, school today," she responded with a smile. Today was his first day at Hogwarts, and even though she was excited at this prospect, it meant she would be alone once more.


End file.
